Synopsis

Internet access has been available in Pakistan since the mid-1990s. PTCL started offering access via the nationwide local call network in 1995. Coming into 2015, despite the long incubation period, internet penetration in the country remained low, with only 15% of the population estimated to be users.

Fixed broadband penetration is Pakistan remains very low. Penetration increased from 0.5% in 2012 to 0.9% in 2015 and 1.0% in 2016. Over the next five years to 2021 moderate growth is expected from a small base. Fixed broadband penetration is predicted to increase from 1.0% in 2016 to between 1.3% and 1.5% in 2018 and 2.0% and 2.4% in 2021.

There were signs that this was changing, however. The country has been pursuing an aggressive IT policy, aimed at boosting Pakistan’s drive for economic modernisation. Although sometimes the policies being applied seem inconsistent, there is no doubt that the government’s general efforts have been helping increase the popularity of the internet. Of special significance has been the administration’s provisioning of e-government services. Nonetheless, despite the huge potential of the local market, much work still needs to be done. Broadband access in particular remains limited (with a fixed broadband subscriber penetration of under 2% by 2015), but this sector of the market was finally starting to expand, having been given a massive boost with the arrival of mobile broadband.

This report looks at the development of the internet, including broadband, in Pakistan and provides some relevant statistics for the local market; there is also some information on the country’s e-commerce market.

Key developments:

government efforts to exercise control over the internet continue to draw criticism;

the E-Government Strategy is ongoing, as Pakistan tries to lift its lowly ranking;

mobile broadband services have totally overwhelmed the fixed broadband sector of the market;

Technologies

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